Lakeside’s mail call

By Lilly O’Gorman
OFFICER Post Office owner Lee Scanlon is calling for a safe drop-off spot for mail in Lakeside, and says a full post office is unlikely to be established in the estate.
Mr Scanlon said the ongoing push and petition for a post office in Lakeside would probably come to nothing.
“The probability of a post office going into Lakeside is extremely low. It’s economics,” he said.
“It’s very expensive to set up a post office and Australia Post is actually closing a lot of post offices and trying to reorganise their services.
“Based on the information I have I think the community would be well-advised to look at other options.”
According to Mr Scanlon, one such option would be to establish a “safe drop-off place” at an existing business, from which he could collect mail at 4pm each day.
“What I have been talking to Kathy (Burgstahler, Lakeside Residents Group chairwoman) about for the past 12 months is creating just a drop-off spot which would help a lot of people who are not able to get here or to Pakenham,” he said.
“People would have to leave their accounts and parcels and then I would go and pick them up each day around 4pm and afterwards I would return the accounts back to the shop.
“We do get a small commission for processing parcels so it is partly about growing this (Officer Post Office) business too.”
Ms Burgstahler said that, although Lakeside residents weren’t looking to distance themselves from the rest of Pakenham, there was certainly a need for a postal service in Lakeside.
She said it would benefit the high number of residents who didn’t drive, including the elderly and home-based business owners.
“Why can’t we entertain Lee’s idea so we can show Australia Post the volume that will be going through this pick up point?” Ms Burgstahler said.
“Lee and I are calling for a business to come forward and offer some space for a pick-up point.
“I have been living in Lakeside and there has been a different petition every year calling for a post office, so how about we try and do this – it will speak louder than a petition.”
Lakeside Pakenham Community Bank branch manager Jen Polites said that although the drop-off point was potentially a good option, it couldn’t be established at the bank.
She said the petition in support of a post office for the estate currently had about 800 signatures, and it was hoped 1000 would be gathered before it is submitted to Federal Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent to be tabled in parliament.